Whisper
by Princess Tutu Fanboy
Summary: Katara has so much to bear after all that has happened to her. But now she is reintorduced to old friends who can help ease her pain


Just to tell you up front this story takes place during the Boiling Rock episode (which I don't own) and shows what happaned at the air temple, while Sokka and Zuko were gone. This also has a lot of Jetara with a little Zutara.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender

* * *

Katara had been walking around the air temple for awhile now. Aang, Toph, and she were kind of by themselves for most of the day. Today they found a note saying that Zuko and Sokka were off going to go get fish for them. The Duke, Teo, and Haru were keeping themselves busy by exploring all parts of the temple. It's true that this was a fascinating place, but this was more like a refuge camp. The eight of them were all prisoners within the temple; hiding in this area waiting to strike.

Katara looked up at the sun and then she realized that the end was coming near. All that they worked for will be tested soon. The comet would come and then everyone would have to face their destiny. Katara was starting to doubt destiny because was it destiny that the firebenders would take over; could it be destiny that the Fire Nation will rule and that Aang will fail? NO! This could not be true.

All the sacrifices made would be for nothing. Katara looked back on all the things that were sacrificed: Her mother, Ba Sing Se, the resistance, Princess Yue, all innocent people, and even people close to herself. Katara fell to the ground and started to cry. Her cry was really soft because she had to be careful so that Toph and Aang wouldn't find her. She had to be strong, but the pain was too much to bear. She finally fell down and was just lying in the same place as still as a stone, trying to think of the happy ties before the war.

Suddenly she heard a familiar voice ask her "What are you doing on the ground?"

She looked up to see Smellerbee and Longshot staring at her. She then got up and wiped her tears in embarrassment.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all," she lied, "What are you doing here?"

"Its kind of a long story, and instead of telling it multiple times why don't we get the rest of the group together."

"Okay, I think they're over here."

Katara started to lead the way as Smellerbee and Longshot followed. She started to remember the first time they met when they were all part of the Freedom Fighters but then they broke up and it was those two plus Jet who went to Ba Sing Se. When they last met Jet was with them, but what had happened? Katara thought to herself, where was Jet? To her the meeting at Ba Sing Se was a distant memory that had faded. She could only remember a lake and then leaving the lake to see the Earth King. What had happened to him? Katara then looked up and saw some fire at one end and knew that they were drawing close to Aang and Toph.

"Hey Aang, Toph," Katara yelled suddenly. The fire she saw was released like a bullet to the other side of the canyon in the air temple. That was typical Aang always acting tough and then acting like a kid. She supposed he was the only one that acted like a kid and an adult; he had the attitude of an adult for the war but in times of peace or calmness he expresses his kid side fully.

"Whoa, next time give a warning, that could have been deadly," Aang complained.

"I'll try to be more careful, but look who's over here."

"Smellerbee, Longshot how are you guys doing?" Aang said. Then he hopped on an air sphere and made his way to them to give them a hug. Toph didn't show that much interest in them because she didn't know them as well as Aang and Katara but she did manage a greeting.

"Well we're fine, we just thought you guys would need help in your fight against the Fire Nation." Smellerbee said, "We'll explain more tonight but first we're starving."

So they all started to find food around the air temple (everyone besides Zuko and Sokka of course), but Smellerbee and Longshot had a brief reunion with The Duke and then received greetings from Teo and Haru for the first time. Once dinner was eaten the group made a campfire.

While the group was making camp Katara kept on wondering what had happened to Longshot and Smellerbee and why she couldn't remember what happened to Jet. She knew that there must be a reason she was blocking him. She believed that it was fear of being hurt by him. Truth be told, she had liked him when they first met and then when she came across him again she turned her fear of being hurt again into rage and attacked him and kept that hate present instead of accepting his new way. Then everything after that was a blank.

Suddenly Katara's thoughts were disrupted when she looked up and saw that Smellerbee was getting ready to speak. "Okay we'll now answer any questions that you have for us," Smellerbee announced.

"Well, why are you here?" asked Toph.

"Oh, well we are here because we heard recently of an attack made by a group of rebels against the Fire Nation and that inspired us to find you guys to start our new lives as heroes and help the Avatar defeat the fire nation," replied Smellerbee.

"But how did you get here?" asked Aang.

"Well after we left Lake Laogai we were going to head back to Ba Sing Se, but Longshot and I just couldn't bear to go back to that city. So we started wandering around the Earth Kingdom. Then eventually we received word that Ba Sing Se had fallen to the Fire Nation along with the rest of the Earth Kingdom. So we figured the place that would be easiest to live would be the Fire Nation while being Fire Nation people. We actually found it quite easy to become Fire Nation because we both felt betrayed by the Earth Kingdom after what had happened with the Dai Li. So Longshot and I ambushed a small group of Fire Nation and then we dressed up like them and snuck into one of their ships. After that Longshot and I went around the Fire Nation exploring and trying to keep a peaceful life, and then while lying back one day we looked up and saw your flying bison and then all thoughts came back to us from that day at Lake Laogai. So we decided that we would try to find you. We did hear of the Avatar trying to attack the Fire Lord and that you were in hiding so we figured the first place to look would be the air temple. So we checked this place out and found you, obviously. So any other questions?"

"Yes," replied Katara, "What happened to Jet?"

There was dead silence when this was spoken. Smellerbee looked like she was going to speak but fell down and then Longshot looked up and said, "Jet is dead. He died that day at Lake Laogai from internal injuries caused by Long Feng. He died when we escaped from Lake Laogai. We saw you guys leave and we decided to bury him right by the entrance and then we left our leader and pursued life the way we set out to...but now we are going to avenge the death of Jet by helping to end this war."

Katara just stared into the campfire with tears running down her face. Her thoughts were moving too quickly to make sense. She just managed to say, "You lied to me."

Longshot responded, "What?"

"Jet said he'd be fine, I just can't believe he'd lie to me again. That seems just like him," Katara said.

No one dared talk after the unraveling of all this information but Smellerbee eventually started to talk again and asked, "Hey, where's the rest of your group? Aren't you missing somebody?"

"Yeah, Sokka," replied Aang, "He's out with Zuko at the moment to go and get some meat for us."

"Zuko," was all that both Smellerbee and Longshot said after that.

"Do you know Zuko?" asked Toph

"Yes, briefly," replied Smellerbee, "You see we met him on a refuge ship to Ba Sing Se and Jet became intrigued with him and offered to let him join the Freedom Fighters. But when he refused he developed an idea that he and his uncle were firebenders. He's the thing that drove him mad and got him caught by the Dai Li. Maybe if it wasn't for him, he wouldn't have been wandering and then he would have never found you and we'd all still be together...but there's no time to think of what-if's."

"Well I guess it's time to rest for now," said Aang then he used his airbending to extinguish the fire and everyone went to bed pretty steadily except for one whose thoughts were going too fast to make much sense, but eventually she tired herself out and finally fell asleep.

* * *

Katara was the last one awake in the morning. She looked around and saw The Duke, Smellerbee, and Longshot walking around the temple and talking while Aang was practicing firebending and Toph was talking to Teo and Haru. Katara got up and started to bring her water out and was bending it all around her body to occupy herself

While she was walking her thoughts were still racing but they were becoming clearer. She realized that she had blocked the memory of Lake Laogai but once Longshot mentioned Jet's death all the images came back to Katara. Katara was once again devastated by Jet's death that this was indirectly the fault of the Fire Nation because if the war wasn't going on the Dai Li would not have been trying to keep the war on the down low. Then she realized that if Zuko hadn't gone to Ba Sing Se Jet might be alive. This fueled her rage that she still had towards him. She was about to break down just like she did before but then she looked up and saw a figure leaning against a pillar

Katara started to move toward this figure and as she moved closer she was becoming more convinced that it was Jet. Then she heard the figure say, "It's been awhile, Katara."

"Jet, is that you?" Katara asked.

"Who else?" confirmed Jet.

"Oh Jet," Katara said as she moved forward and hugged him tightly, "I thought you were dead."

"I had to keep my promise to you, remember?" Jet said, smiling.

"I'm sorry for not accepting your change that you said you went through," Katara said, "Here, come with me."

"What?" replied Jet.

"C'mon." She pulled him in her direction.

"Fine," Jet said while starting to walk with her. They both walked in silence next to each other for a brief time and then Jet broke the silence, "So... at least you gave me a better greeting than our last encounter."

"Well," Katara explained, "you have to admit that the time before that you did do some horrible things and lied to me so I was so disappointed with you that I didn't want to have anything to do with you."

"So why did you give me such a warmhearted greeting just now?"

"You see, there were really two reasons, but before I tell you them I just want to know something. In Ba Sing Se when you said you changed, did you?"

"Yes and no," Jet replied, "you see after you left me there that day the other Freedom Fighters rescued me but ever since that mission we fell apart except for Smellerbee, Longshot, and me. At first we tried to continue our acts but then after awhile I thought about your reaction to what I was planning to do and then I realized that I was wrong and that I shouldn't judge the Fire Nation so harshly. Like the town of Fire Nation citizens that were innocent. However our team was running low on rations and the strength to continue so then we planned to go to Ba Sing Se to start our lives over again. Unfortunately I swear I saw a firebender named Zuko and then when I tried to expose him I was hypnotized and then I was myself again, and you know the rest."

"Okay now that I've got your story straight my reasons for my warmhearted greeting was that I thought you were dead and you're a friend that I care about even though I was disappointed in you. Then my second reason was that I actually believed you did mean what you said when you said you just wanted to start a new life. Its funny; I thought something changed about you."

Katara's feelings were unexplainable; she did not understand how she felt when she thought of Aang and the kiss, but Jet was here now and she was very confused. It was true that she liked him when they first met and she was disappointed in him but never really hated him. Now that he was here at this moment she was just so relieved that he became a new person while carrying his old traits. The only thing that mattered to Katara right now was that Jet was a better person now and she wanted to stay with him.

Katara saw that they were nearing Aang; she could see the fire come through the pillars. Katara stopped and said, "Wait."

Jet stopped and looked her right in the eye and she stared into his brown eyes. Jet then said, "What is it?"

"It's just that...I want to see something,"

Katara then put her hands around Jet and brought herself upward and she slowly kissed him and then he kissed her back. Both then moved away from each other and Katara said, "Wow."

Jet just said, "Well, are we going to move on?"

Katara, still dazed from what had just happened, said, "Oh right, yes."

Both of them continued walking and just after a flame blasted Katara saw Aang. She made a beckoning sign to Aang and then Aang jumped on an air sphere and rode over to her.

"What is it?" asked Aang.

"Right here, see who's here?" Katara said.

"Who? I don't see anything."

"What are talking about, right next to me! It's Jet."

Aang looked next to her and then at her. Katara then looked next to her and saw nothing.

"There's nobody there, maybe you should get some more rest."

"I swear Jet was right here, I wonder where he went."

"Katara, Jet died Smellerbee and Longshot buried him; he's dead."

"No, I saw him, I swear he was here!"

"Just go lie down, Katara."

And then Aang made the air around Katara pick her up and move her into the temple and then laid her down while she kept saying the Jet was there. Aang moved back to his original spot to continue his firebending.

Katara was lying down with her own free will and was wondering to herself what she saw and why she saw it. She looked up and she saw Jet again she turned her whole body the other way. Jet said, "I'm sorry for not showing myself to Aang but I didn't want to make you look silly."

"Oh, and I didn't look silly trying to tell him you're alive and you're not even there to back it up?" Katara responded angrily.

"Well, you see, I've got to tell you the truth one last time," Jet said.

"What is it Jet?" Katara asked as she turned around and stood up to look him in the eye.

"You see, I'm not really alive, I'm only here because of you. I'm part of your imagination and I'm part of my spirit. When I died my spirit was left here because I had to explain all I said to you so my spirit entered your mind and your mind is projecting my image and I'm telling the image what to say and do."

"Why? Why did you need to tell me all you said?" Katara cried.

"I had to show you my real self, to remember me by, and I need to explain something very important to you."

"What is it?" Katara asked.

"You see..." Jet started but then looked around and his image started to fade, "Oh no!"

"What's happening?"

"Your mind's pushing me out. I'm not sure how much more time I have."

"But I'm not doing anything!"

"You're doing it unconsciously. Listen, just remember these words: Never judge someone for what they did or who they were. It only matters if they are good now and are sorry for what they did before, got that?"

"Yes," Katara said, as she started to cry.

Jet grabbed Katara and he kissed her then said, "Listen, remember me for what I told you. Remember I wanted to make you happy. I just wish I was alive to help you and no matter what happens you were a really good friend and I love you for being there."

"I love you too, and I will always remember you," Katara said softly. She closed her eyes and kissed him one more time and then when she opened her eyes, Jet was gone. Katara then sat in the cave by herself and realized that she shouldn't blame the Fire Nation for everything that had happened and was finally calm and actually in a peaceful state for the next day.

While she was looking out at the cliff she heard a voice, "Katara look Zuko and Sokka are back."

Katara rushed over and saw Sokka and Zuko come back and then saw Suki, her father, and a new friend enter from the ship. She hugged her father and at that moment Katara felt safe. She looked over to Zuko and hatred fuelled her and stayed in her all during dinner when everyone ate together, but then she heard a voice in the wind, "Remember what I said." Then everything came back to Katara.

After dinner Zuko was in his room but then witnessed Katara enter the room.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko asked.

"Listen, I know I've given you quite a hard time lately."

"Well you could have fooled me," Zuko said sarcastically.

"And I just want to know are you truly good now."

"Yes, I want to help end this war."

"But what about all the times you chased us and all the anger you showed toward Aang?"

"I saw an illusion and thought that capturing the Avatar would bring me my honor back and my father would appreciate me, but the Fire Lord was never my father. I am sick of all the carnage and waste he's made to the world and how he's betrayed his people. Now the closest thing to a father I've got is gone. I guess you don't appreciate something until it's gone, huh?"

"Yeah, that's true," Katara said thinking about Jet. She looked at Zuko and realized something important.

"What about our conversation underneath Ba Sing Se? You said all of that stuff about your mother and then you suddenly attacked Aang and me."

"What I said before the fight was all true, except..."

"Except what?"

"Nothing, you would just think I'm lying."

"No, I promise I'll trust you."

"Well you see, I kind of found out that my mother is alive and that she sacrificed herself just so I could live. I just can't stand it. And to add on to my answer before, I don't want anyone else hurt by the Fire Lord and the nation he has control of; to me the sooner he's gone the better."

There was silence between the two in the room and then Katara said two words that echoed throughout the room, "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? Sorry for what?" asked Zuko.

"I'm sorry for treating you the way I did, I'm sorry for what happened to you, and I'm sorry for not trying to heal you scar." Katara said with tears running down her face.

Zuko then walked forward to her and quietly said, "Its fine. You didn't have to do any of those things."

Katara said, "I'm just sorry."

Then she looked up at Zuko's face into his gold colored eyes and saw brown in there as well. She thought to herself that she was glad that she understood what had happened to Zuko and got the full story and it was not too late like Jet. She then moved her head forward and kissed Zuko. They moved apart and Zuko was surprised at first, then relaxed and returned her kiss. They both were speechless.

Zuko moved his head right next to her ear and whispered softly, "Katara it's very important that you do one thing for me."

"What is it?"

"Wake up."

* * *

Katara then lifted her body from the ground and looked up to see everyone there. She asked, "Where am I? What happened?"

Aang looked down at her and said, "You're at the air temple. The Duke found you lying there and told Toph. She picked you up and brought you here, you've been out for a couple days."

"What about Smellerbee and Longshot; where are they?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Toph. "They're probably roaming somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. You'll probably want to walk around and shake your dream off."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Katara said as she got up and started to walk.

It felt so weird to her; how could all that had happened? How could it all have been a dream? She started to think and realized it must have been when she broke down and started to cry and then everything made sense, except why she fell asleep. Katara thought hard about it and then figured out that she must not have gotten used to being so high and when she looked down from the pillar she fell down in sadness and from lack of strength. Katara then heard someone say, "Look Zuko and Sokka are back."

Katara was then relieved that things were finally getting back on track and she could forget everything that happened the last couple of days. She looked on as the Fire Nation blimp slowly came down. Then Zuko exited the ship and as soon as Katara saw Zuko a wind blew past her. She heard a familiar voice that said, "Remember..."


End file.
